Court dismisses forgery case against Action Alliance chairman

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

An Osun State Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo has dismissed a criminal case against the National Chairman of the Action Alliance (AA), Barrister Kenneth Udeze.

Magistrate Adebola Odeleye also struck out the case against three members of the party, Ogunmodede Adeloye, Vernimbe James, and Adepoju Adetunji, citing legal irregularities in the prosecution.

The defendants were arraigned in February 2020 over the alleged forgery of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) documents.

According to the charge sheet, sometime in July 2018 in Osogbo, within the Osogbo Magisterial District, the defendants conspired to commit a felony—namely, forgery, altering, and making false statements to public officers—thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun State.

“That you, Adepoju Timothy Adetunji, on the 20th day of July 2018 at the High Court of Justice, Osogbo, did make a false statement that you were elected as the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance Party to the officers of Osun State High Court and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 125(a) and (b) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Vol. 11, Laws of Osun State, 2002,” the charge sheet added.

After multiple adjournments at the instance of the prosecution, both the prosecution and defence presented their witnesses and closed their cases, having adopted their written addresses.

Reading the judgment on Thursday, Magistrate Odeleye noted that the charge sheet prepared against the defendants lacked a legally recognised signature.

She submitted that “This critical flaw rendered the prosecution’s case invalid and incompetent in the eyes of the law.”